Real-Time Target Localization Using a Gimbaled Camera for a Single-Antenna GPS-Based UAV

S. Shon, B. Lee, J. Kim, C. Kee

Abstract:	In this paper we discuss a real-time method to calculate the three-dimensional location of a target detected by a gimbaled camera in a fixed-wing experimental unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a single-antenna GPS receiver on board. The camera was operated by an algorithm that automatically tracked the detected target, and the location was obtained using triangulation. The influence of the wind was taken into consideration to improve the localization accuracy, which cannot be deduced using a single GPS antenna. Using a special maneuver, the circular level flight, wind velocity was estimated by the periodic variation of the aircraft’s velocity and angle-of-attack using the gimbaled camera angles. Then, the pseudo-pitch angle was compensated for using the estimated results. The experimental data show that applying the pitch angle calibration successfully eliminated almost 90% of the horizontal localization error and the final accuracy was less than 10 m.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 19th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2006) September 26 - 29, 2006 Fort Worth Convention Center Fort Worth, TX
Pages:	3134 - 3139
Cite this article:	Shon, S., Lee, B., Kim, J., Kee, C., "Real-Time Target Localization Using a Gimbaled Camera for a Single-Antenna GPS-Based UAV," Proceedings of the 19th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2006), Fort Worth, TX, September 2006, pp. 3134-3139.
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